Success at Last! Dad’s House is Ready to Sell (Before and After Pictures)

Getting the old dirty brown shag carpet out of the house and having the new carpet installed was probably the most important update I did to try to get people to consider buying my dad’s house in such a sluggish market. But the second most important thing was to paint the house. We had to not only paint the walls and trim but also the ceilings. The walls were literally yellow with nicotine from many years of four people smoking day in and day out. Some walls and trim I had to wash to remove the yellow. But some of the walls we were able to paint with Kilz.

Hallway….Newly painted..new switch plates. You can see the contrast with the ceiling. Jacob hadn't done that yet. He was so good to paint ceilings for us and hang blinds.

We have had the house treated for termites and pests and have a year’s contract on maintenance for both. The foundation is repaired and the plumbing is now sound. The kitchen floor and cabinets are now repaired too. And I set up a timer to run the sprinkler on the front yard at 8pm every other evening. It had been dying due to lack of water.

Next week, we will go back and cut down the dead tree in the front yard and finish the bathroom and paint the garage door.

Will it work? I certainly hope so! I will say that of the five different groups who came into the house to repair it or treat it, two said, “Nice house! How much is it?” And one guy said that if it was still on the market in three months..he’d buy it. If termite guys, plumbers, and repairmen are ready to buy it, I think we have a really good chance of selling it now!

We are all so tired..but it was worth every bit of effort we put into it. I hope to have good news once the realtor takes the new pictures and lists all the repairs and improvements we’ve done.

Dad had written a list of all the home repairs he wanted to get done written on a yellow piece of paper pinned to the bulletin board in the kitchen. On it were all the items I did with the kids this week. He left me money to do exactly that. That last month of his life he expressed concern that the house wouldn’t sell if those things didn’t get done.

All the while we were working, I kept thinking how very happy he would have been to see his parents’ home look so beautiful, clean, and updated. He only lived there 3 years and I’m certain it was the cancer that caused his continual anemia that made him so tired that he couldn’t do the work he wanted.

Today his house is everything he dreamed of. If he could see it now..I know he’d be smiling. Have you ever had to get a house ready to sell? What helped the most?

Good Morning Donna,What a fabulous job! You all have been working so hard...and it is finally paying off! My prayer is that the house will move quickly for you...perhaps you should consider this type of "family work"? Have a blessed day,Laura

Hi Everyone, Thanks so much! I will be visiting later this morning. We just unpacked yesterday. Actually, Laura, Tim and I do have a lot of experience in this area. We once managed a 24 unit apartment complex while Tim was finishing college. At the time they had one whole building, of the three unrented. The apartments were nasty..lots of grease from international students cooking but not using overhead vents..and matted cobwebs an inch thick hanging from ceilings. We cleaned and painted like crazy and by the time we left, the had a 2 year waiting list of college students wanting to rent them. The owners were so impressed they begged us to stay, but of course, apartment management was not in Tim's career plan. He is a programmer and loves it. However, one of the guys was a corporate head hunter and did Tim's professional 'resume' for him and offered him a fabulous job. If it hadn't required 80 hour work weeks, Tim would have taken it in a heartbeat. (I once mentioned this job offer in my post about Livin' on a Shoestring and Lovin' it.)

You did a great job. I bet it was fun work even though exhausting.We had our house on the market last year. We worked so hard getting it ready. We got rid of so much. We painted and replaced floors. It didn't sell, but that's okay. I have enjoyed the improvements. We may relist next year if the market is better. The realtors (and I used to be one, ages ago) always say if it is priced right it will sell. Sorry, I think that is a little mixed up. In this market if you are willing to sell your house for "way" less than it is worth it will sell.Good luck. I hope this house sells quickly.

Donna,It looks great! The hard work has payed off. We've moved 7 times to new homes and it is a lot of work and stress involved. LOL Hope you have a wonderful weekend and are able to get some rest!Blessings,Jill

Welcome to Comin' Home! If you lived nearby, I'd invite you over to my neck of the woods for a nice long chat and a cup of tea out on the deck. But since we can't do that, I hope you'll stay and look around. I love learning new things and sharing what I learn with friends. Comin' Home is where I share tips from my many projects. Let's have some fun together! XO Donna